Sunday, April 1, 2007

ATWOOD - Martha Rosalie Heinzelmann Bender passed away suddenly Saturday March 24 at her home in Normal, Illinois. Martha was born April 14, 1932 in rural Piatt County, Illinois, near Atwood and was married to Kenneth D. Bender in Atwood on May 29, 1950. She was the daughter of Victor and Caddie (Fisher) Heinzelmann.

Her paternal grandparents were Godfrey and Elizabeth (Dilocker) Heinzelmann.; and her maternal grandparents were William Porter and Martha Florence (Jones) Fisher. She was preceded in death by siblings Agnes Heinzelmann, Florence Heinzelmann, Victor Heinzelmann, Madge Baker, and Paul Arthur Heinzelmann. She is survived by her husband Kenneth D. and son Paul E. of Normal and grandson Anthony DeGuerre of Staten Island, New York and sister Reta Riley of Roanoke.

Martha's life was full of service, learning and some adventure as she moved from Atwood to Lovington then on to Champaign and finally to Normal. Activities included being a Worthy Matron of the Lovington Order of Eastern Star, President of the Lovington Woman's Club, District Officer of the Women's Club, Library Board member in Lovington and also its representative on the Rolling Prairie Library Board. She was also a graduate of Atwood High School and pursued learning throughout her life being a graduate of Dale Carnegie and Dorothy Carnegie classes including being a graduate assistant.

She was a pioneer in the study of the computer and kept an active schedule on the computer up to the day of her passing. She was an accomplished organist. Her adventures included a trip to Great Britain, Ireland and Scotland with her husband Kenneth and a trip to Germany with her son Paul. After moving to Champaign she began literary pursuits that included having poetry published and attending several poet conventions.

Upon arriving in Normal she took an active interest in genealogy which resulted in her writing a book on her family's history entitled: "The Hilltop Old Tales of New Beginnings". The genealogy also took her around to different parts of the United States in pursuit of viewing her origins. She was actively working on the Moore Cemetery project, which is the resting place of her great grandmother Wilmina Fredricka Dilocker, within hours of her death. Flowers are appreciated, but in the alternative gifts to the Piatt County Genealogical Society would please her.

Funeral Services celebrating her life will be held at 10 A.M., Thursday, March 29, 2007 at the Hilligoss Shrader Funeral Home, 66 East US Highway 36, Atwood, IL. Order of Eastern Star Services will be held at 7:00 P.M., Wednesday, March 28, 2007 at the funeral home, with visitation following from 7:30 P.M. until 9:00 P.M. Burial will be in the Mackville Cemetery, Atwood, IL.